Digital Advertising Cryptoscape

Many companies are working on leveraging the blockchain to solve digital advertising industry problems.  I've been trying to keep track of who's doing what and how it all fits together. Inspired by the famous Display LUMAscape from LUMA Partners, I've come up with the following Digital Advertising Cryptoscape!

Here's a quick summary of each entity shown above:

Transparancy

adChain

Open protocol on the public Ethereum blockchain that allows for the building of decentralized applications for the $175 billion digital advertising ecosystem. By MetaX. adToken (ADT) is a multi-purpose token with usage properties for voting, depositing and challenging entry into the adChain Registry.

Rebel AI

Blockchain-enabled ad security solution that protects publisher identity and advertiser spend, and prevents ads from ever appearing on an unauthorized site.

DSP's

HubDSP

Accepts BTSR (10% off) and other cryptocurrencies.

DMP's

Zohem

Decentralized user data exchange protocol to replace DMPs like BlueKai. Zohem’s Core comprises of a common data layer to which all publishers will be able to contribute data and get rewarded for the same with Zohem Data Tokens (ZDTs)

MadHive

Audience-Driven Data Solutions for OTT and AdvancedTV. Founding member of adledger.

Attribution

MediaChain

Mediachain is a blockchain data solution for connecting applications to media and information about it. Attribution Engine. The best image search engine for creators. Find free, high quality images that you can share and re-use.

Exchanges

AdEx

A decentralized ad exchange built on top of Ethereum smart contracts.

Exchain

Blockchain and programmatic advertising platform by EnvisionX. Formerly Bitcasts.

Kind Ads

A Decentralized Trust Protocol (the “Kind Ads Protocol”) will create an ecosystem for users, publishers, advertisers, and app partners. Currently focused on push notifications and developing a quality and reputation score for domains.  No fees will be charged on dollars spent.

NYIAX

The world's first exchange to trade advertising contracts. Developed in partnership with Nasdaq, NYIAX combines financial trading and advertising technology in one platform to enable publishers and advertisers to buy, sell, and re-trade premium advertising inventory. As the first and only trusted, transparent, future inventory marketplace, NYIAX allows both publishers and advertisers to increase ROI and reduce costs.

XCHNG

By Kochava. Through a smart contract IO, enables the related targeting and activation of audiences, and bolsters ad-spend efficiency and security. It will usher in a next-generation advertising system of record for all participants.

qChain

Facilitating branded content, sponsorship, and influencer marketing transactions between advertisers and digital publishers or content creators

Payments

Amino

Transparency-focused ad tech payment tech.

BitTeaser

Use coin BTSR as a form of payment when the bill needs to be paid for programmatic advertising worldwide.

Identity

Faktor

A blockchain based Identity Management platform for publishers, safely connecting people to brands and content.

Monetization

Brave Browser

A Chrome-based browser that blocks ads and uses Basic Attention Token (BAT) to pay users and publishers.

CoinHive

Allows publishers to mine Monero (XMR) in users' browsers.

JSECoin

A brand new coin specifically for publishers to mine in their users' browsers.

Consortiums

adLedger

Nonprofit research and development consortium charged with implementing global technical standards and solutions for the digital media and blockchain industries.

IAB Tech Lab Blockchain Working Group

Investigates the application of blockchain technology to address challenges in the digital advertising space and to develop standards and best practices for the utilization of blockchain technology.

Additions

If you are aware of any additional organizations using the blockchain for digital advertising that belong on this cryptoscape, please leave a comment, and I will update it.

Edits

2018-04-26 Added Kind Ads.

Los Angeles Roof TV Antenna for VHF/UHF

Cutting The Cord

This year I finally cut the cord and got rid of my DISH satellite TV service which saves me about $50 per month! I've had the service for many years just to get the basic local channels like CBS, ABC, NBC, and FOX.  My plan was to replace DISH with a digital antenna so I could get all of those channels for free.  In this post, I'll share the model of the antenna that worked for me here on the west side of Los Angeles.

Antennas

Finding the right antenna proved to be more difficult that I thought it would be.  I first started with an indoor VHF/UHF antenna, the NorthVu NV20 Pro AMPd, that I got from Tablo's website.  Tablo is an Over the Air (OTA) DVR company.  Long term, I was contemplating buying one of their DVR's so I figured it would be good to get an antenna they were familiar with.  With this antenna, I was able to get some UHF channels like CBS, but none of the VHF channels like FOX.  I thought that maybe an indoor antenna was not powerful enough for my neighborhood in Los Angeles which is Del Rey 90066.

I shopped on Amazon for a highly-rated outdoor roof antenna and purchased this 1byone 85 Miles VHF/UHF antenna. I borrowed a friend's ladder, got on my roof, mounted this antenna and connected it to the coax cable that was previously connected to my DISH satellite which DISH never came to retrieve. I also plugged in and connected the included power booster behind my TV.  Unfortunately, I got the same result: UHF channels came in perfectly and VHF channels did not work at all.  I have no idea why since the specs for this antenna clearly claim that both VHF and UHF should work.  I ended up returning this antenna to Amazon for a refund.

Next I started Googling for with terms like "missing VHF channels in Los Angeles" and found this web page called Best TV Antenna for Los Angeles, CA Digital TV Stations from an antenna vendor in NY called Denny's Antenna.  The middle of this page described my exact problem:

Note: Some Los Angeles area residents have reported problems receiving KABC 7.1 ABC, KTTV 11.1 FOX, KCOP 13.1 MYTV and KCAL 9.1 IND when using antennas other than the EZ HD or the HD Stacker. This is due to the VHF broadcast signal frequencies in use by these stations and the use of the improper antenna to receive VHF signal frequency. Many of today's antennas (do to smaller antenna size) will not receive VHF signals. The EZ HD and the HD Stacker are designed to provide excellent performance across the entire VHF/UHF frequency spectrum in use in the Los Angeles free to air broadcasting market.

So I immediately ordered their EZ HD antenna.  It arrived at my house in just a few days.  I mounted it on my roof, connected the coax cable, connected a ground wire that was also left over from the previous DISH satellite, and scanned for channels on my TV.  Amazingly, it worked!  I was able to receive all the local channels, both UHF and VHF.  I have no idea why this antenna worked so well.  To be honest, this one felt flimsy and cheaply made compared to the one I bought on Amazon.

Denny's EZ-HD - works in LA

Channel Guide

A list of local channels is easily available online, but I wanted one for my phone so I downloaded the app TV Listings by TV24.  I was amazed how many channels you can get for free over the air.  The TV Listings listings were pretty accurate.

DVR

I look forward to being able to watch local news once in a while or a live event like the Grammy's that is hard to find online.  The next thing I am going to look into is whether I want to purchase a DVR such as Tablo.  A lot of the shows I've been watching are on Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon to which I already subscribe.  It isn't clear yet whether the DVR is necessary.

Chad Lefkowitz-Brown Solo Transcriptions

I am a huge fan of saxophonist Chad Lefkowitz-Brown.  I came across one of his videos on Instagram about a year ago and I've been following him ever since.

I recently purchased his book of 15 solo transcriptions by saxophonist and educator Ron Fix.  It's available in physical and digital form. It is fun to play through them and get some insight into how Chad thinks when he improvises.

Interestingly, this is the first transcription book I've ever seen that covers music solely from social media!  Every single one is freely available online on either Chad's YouTube or Instagram feed.

The digital version of the book comes with audio files you can play along to, but it doesn't include links to find each video online.  I combed through Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook to find each one.  That's what I want to share with you in this post so you can both watch and play along.  Happy practicing!

They are listed below in the order they appear in the book.

After you listen to these, be sure to check out more of  Chad LB's solos on AllSolos.com.

All The Things You Are

Instagram - November 9, 2016

It's now more important than ever to focus on love and compassion. Here's a chorus on All The Things You Are. For next week let's pick a tune with "Love" in the title. Some of the many possibilities... I Love You, Taking A Chance On Love, There Is No Greater Love.

A post shared by Chad Lefkowitz-Brown (@chadlbsax) on Nov 9, 2016 at 3:11pm PST

Body And Soul

YouTube - December 8, 2015

Caravan

Instagram - September 27, 2016

This week's Duke Ellington chorus on a standard vote went to Caravan. For next week, let's do Horace Silver! Some ideas: Nica's Dream, Sister Sadie, Song For My Father… Thanks for voting!! #caravan #dukeellington #horacesilver

A post shared by Chad Lefkowitz-Brown (@chadlbsax) on Sep 27, 2016 at 3:26pm PDT

Confirmation

Instagram - July 26, 2016

Week 3 chorus on a standard, here's the "winner" with the most votes on Instagram and Facebook - Confirmation. Thanks to everyone submitting requests! For next week, let's vote now picking between the second place finishers: 26-2, Donna Lee, Bye Bye Blackbird, and Cherokee. #confirmation #26-2 #donnalee #byebyeblackbird #cherokee #johncoltrane #charlieparker #chadlefkowitzbrown

A post shared by Chad Lefkowitz-Brown (@chadlbsax) on Jul 26, 2016 at 8:05am PDT

Driftin’

YouTube - February 26, 2014

For All We Know

YouTube - May 17, 2013

Get Lucky

YouTube - October 9, 2013

High High The Moon

Instagram - April 22, 2017

Warming up on How High The Moon (hotel volume) for the hit at Yale tonight with Adam O'Farrill and Stranger Days! @yale #yale #yaleuniversity #chadlefkowitzbrown

A post shared by Chad Lefkowitz-Brown (@chadlbsax) on Apr 22, 2017 at 2:13pm PDT

Melodic Cell Lines

Instagram - April 6, 2017

Shedding on melodic cells 🎷🤘

A post shared by Chad Lefkowitz-Brown (@chadlbsax) on Apr 6, 2017 at 3:54pm PDT

Nature Boy

YouTube - July 28, 2014

On The Sunny Side Of The Street

YouTube - February 16, 2015

Recorda Me

Instagram - August 24, 2016

Week 6 of a chorus (or a few) on a standard. This week's Joe Henderson vote went to Recordame. Next week let's do Wayne Shorter! Some ideas: Deluge, Footprints, Juju, Fee Fi Fo Fum... Thanks for voting!! #recordame #joehenderson #wayneshorter #chadlefkowitzbrown

A post shared by Chad Lefkowitz-Brown (@chadlbsax) on Aug 24, 2016 at 10:42am PDT

Sandu

YouTube - July 15, 2013

Struttin’ With Some Barbecue

Facebook - August 4, 2016
Instagram - August 6, 2016

Here's a video I posted on Facebook the other day of a Louis Armstrong tune called Struttin' with some Barbecue. #louisarmstrong #chadlefkowitzbrown

A post shared by Chad Lefkowitz-Brown (@chadlbsax) on Aug 6, 2016 at 2:22pm PDT

Take The A Train

YouTube - November 18, 2014

There Is No Greater Love

Instagram - November 16, 2016

This week's chorus on a standard, "There Is No Greater Love," from a dressing room at the Count Basie Theater in Red Bank. Cameo from @bt0wnbr0wn. For next week let's do Dizzy Gillespie. A few ideas: Groovin' High, Night in Tunisia, Woody N' You... #chadlefkowitzbrown #dizzygillespie

A post shared by Chad Lefkowitz-Brown (@chadlbsax) on Nov 16, 2016 at 12:34pm PST

JavaScript Crypto-Mining with CoinHive and JSECoin

In the past, it has been difficult to mine BitCoin (BTC) with JavaScript in a web browser due to massive amount of processing power necessary.  Lately, JavaScript mining solutions for other types of cryptocurrencies have come on the scene. 2 examples are CoinHive and JSECoin.

CoinHive

CoinHive awards miners in Monero (XMR), a crypto currency known for its privacy as compared to BitCoin (BTC). It current trades for about $94 USD per 1 XMR. Once your account reaches the minimum payout of 0.5 XMR (~$47), they will transfer the Monero to a wallet that you have to setup outside of a normal coin exchange.  From there, you can transfer it into an exchange wallet and then ultimately trade it for USD or BTC.  CoinHive can be used as an alternative monetization source to ads.  It can also be used as a CAPTCHA or gate where your user must mine some Monero before being allowed to enter a website. Note that CoinHive currently takes a 30% rev share from the Monero you mine.

Recently some websites have been in the news for deploying CoinHive without making their users aware of it. They have since pulled it down.  Here are some articles about it:

• Showtime websites secretly mined user CPU for cryptocurrency
• CBS's Showtime caught mining crypto-coins in viewers' web browsers

JSECoin

JSECoin describes itself as "cryptocurrency mined by webmasters built for everyone".  JSECoins are supposed to be worth approximately $1 USD right now each, but no one knows the real value until they do an ICO after which point they will be listed on an exchange. Their ICO is planned for Q2 of 2018.  Those who begin to mine JSECoin have no assurances that their rewards will be worth anything.

What the Heck

Since this is all so new and interesting, I have decided to learn more about JavaScript coin mining, and the best way to do that is to jump in and try it.  Therefore, I have installed CoinHive and JSECoin miner code on this blog!  Consider this a warning - visiting this blog may use some of your computer's CPU until you close the page.  I am curious to see what kind of a "CPM" I make to compare with the ad units I'm running.  If you have any experience with JavaScript miners, please comment below.

Ubuntu CUPS Driver for Google Cloud Print

On my Ubuntu desktop computer, printing to Google Cloud Print works great when printing from Chrome.  This screenshot shows how I can select my printer, the Brother MFC-J450DW, from the printers I have previously setup in Google Cloud Print.

Google Cloud Print Printer Selection Dialog Box

The problem is being able to select my Google Cloud Print printer from any other printer selection dialog box in Ubuntu.  The answer is to setup a CUPS printer driver that knows how to print to your Google Cloud Print printer.

Fortunately, Niftiest Software has made such a CUPS driver available: CUPS Cloud Print.  According to their website,

CUPS Cloud Print is a Google Cloud Print driver for UNIX-like operating systems ( Linux, Mac OS X , BSDs etc ). It allows any application which prints via CUPS to print to Google Cloud Print directly.

CUPS Clount Print is very easy to install on Ubuntu.  You just add their Personal Package Archive (PPA), apt-get install cupscloudprint, and run the setup script, written in python.  The setup script will prompt you for your Google user account.  Then it generates a link which you visit in your browser.  This will grant access to CUPS Cloud Print at Google and give you an authorization code. Just copy/paste that code when prompted by the setup script, choose an optional prefix for your Google Cloud Print printer names for when they show up as CUPS printers, and you're done.  After this, your Google Cloud Print printers will show up in your Printers settings, and you can choose them from any Ubuntu Print dialog box.

Ubuntu Printer Settings Dialog Box

Here you can see that my Google Cloud Print printer name was Brother_MFC-J450DW and I told the CUPS Cloud Print setup script to use the prefix GCP-.  The prefix makes it easy to distinguish the Google Cloud Print printers from other printers you may have installed.  As you can see, I don't have any other printer setup besides the Google Cloud Print printers.

It's nice to be able to print easily from anywhere within Ubuntu without ever having to install a proprietary printer driver.  Thanks to Google Cloud Print and Niftiest Software for making this capability freely available!